Business Briefs – August 17, 2017

Tech Companies Banishing Extremists After Charlottesville

NEW YORK (AP) – It took bloodshed in Charlottesville to get tech companies to do what civil rights groups have been calling for for years: take a firmer stand against accounts used to promote hate and violence. In the wake of the deadly clash last weekend in Virginia, major companies such as Google and PayPal are banishing a growing number of extremist groups and individuals for violating service terms.

New Ford CEO Says Company Will Balance Present With Future

DETROIT (AP) — The new CEO of Ford Motor Co. says the company isn’t taking its eyes off the present as it prepares for transportation in the future. Jim Hackett says new mobility projects such as buying a shuttle company and the purchase of an artificial intelligence startup have not taken money from car and truck development.

LL Bean Boosting Production Of Iconic Boot

LEWISTON, Maine (AP) – L.L. Bean is hoping to give the boot to backlogs of its most iconic product. The Maine-based retailer plans to expand production to keep up with demand for its leather-and-rubber boot with a new manufacturing center unveiled Thursday. The company hopes to make 750,000 pairs of boots this year, and to hit the 1 million mark in 2018.

Walmart’s Online Sales Soar as It Seeks to Catch Amazon

NEW YORK (AP) – Walmart’s recent spending spree to try to compete better with Amazon seems to be paying off. The company says online sales soared 60 percent in the past three months as people shopped more at Walmart.com, Jet.com and its other websites. Walmart has been buying up online brands to build its internet business. It paid more than $3 billion for Jet last year, and has since picked up smaller players like ModCloth and Moosejaw.